The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Unfortunately, he is very good at what he does. Just as thieves can steal cars that have alarms or break into banks and other protected places, the Thief can also sneak in and rob us while we are unaware–even if we are praying.

People ask, “If there is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?” Sometimes non-believers ask, “If there is a God, why have your prayers not been answered?”

The answer is above. The Thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. Yes, we may be praying, believing, and going to church, but those defense systems only defend our souls 100% of the time. Our worldly gains, be they money, children, or our health are protected, but not as well. The Thief may still slip in and nab an item here and there.

If the Thief has taken something from you, I encourage you to hold strong. Hang on! Because Jesus didn’t end with simply telling us about the Thief. He said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Jesus came that we can have life and have it more abundantly than we could without Him. Hold on to the promises of God. Yes, the Thief may have taken something or someone from you, but Jesus has come and has promised you a wonderful life.

Don’t chase the Thief trying to get that thing back. If you do, you only leave your other treasures unguarded so more thieves can slip in and plunder them. State your case to Jesus. Let Him chase down the Thief and restore you.

Life is tough. We face challenges daily. The greatest challenge each of us faces every day is which god will we serve? Will we serve the God of heaven and earth; the God who formed us and knew us in our mother’s womb? Or will we serve someone or something else?

In Matt 6:24, Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Because mammon means “money,” some people claim Jesus was speaking against wealth. That is inaccurate at best and deceitful at worst.

Jesus was not talking about “money” but about “the world.” We can discern this by verse 25. In context, we see that we cannot serve heaven and earth at the same time. Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, but Satan is the Prince of the earth. So, we cannot serve Jesus and Satan simultaneously.

But what does it mean to “serve” the world?

You do not need to bow down and say, “Hail Satan” to serve the devil. Every time you place some “worldly” thing above Jesus Christ, you elevate the Prince of the earth and deny Jesus Christ His rightful place of glory. For an extreme example, the person who chooses to go get drunk instead of going to church silently says, “Alcohol is more important that God.”

But often times, our decisions to serve Satan are much more subtle. Even many of us who can be found in church and reading our Bibles may be duped into serving Satan at times. Consider the “Christian” salesperson who conveniently omits a couple of truths or exaggerates a bit to make the sale. Whom is he serving? Only himself. God is not glorified by his actions. Consider the “Christian” who is caught speeding. Is lying to get out of a ticket any better than lying about something else? Is God glorified by lies? In both of these instances, the person is only serving his or her own personal interests. They are serving the things which they can see and feel instead of God. While He is watching, because they cannot see Him, they do not serve Him–like those demanding a golden calf to worship while moses was on the mountain.

As you face tough situations and decisions, I encourage you to ask yourself, “Which decision will glorify God? Which course of action will elevate God above everything else?” Sometimes your path will be the more difficult or costly one, but it will definitely be the right one.